Photographer's Note

HOT AIR BALLOON OVER LUXOR

Five hundred years ago Leonardo da Vinci expressed an abiding aspiration to achieve manned flight,  in the manner of birds. In a photo, Leonardos Dream, that I posted on the great artist-scientist-engineers 555th birthday, a pair of Canadian Geese were seen in midair, and 10,000 meters above them the contrail of a commercial jet. That image was emblematic of heavier-than-air flight. Four hundred years after Leonardos prescient musings, the Wright brothers fulfilled his dream, constructing a manned kite powered by a gasoline-powered engine, and managed to stay aloft for 59 seconds and traveling 300 meters. This first ever heavier-than-air flight took place in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. The dizzyingly swift progress of flight technology culminated just sixty-six years later (on July 20, 1969), when three NASA astronauts were launched from Florida on a multi-stage Apollo rocket, they reached the moon; one of them stayed in a lunar orbit, while two of them descended, walked on the moon; then all three returned safely to the earth.

Lighter-than-air flight, however, was achieved in France late in the 18th century. It started with experimentation made by the Montgolfier Brothers, Joseph Michel (1740-1810) and Jacques Étienne (1745-1799). When air is heated, it expands, and in the process, its density falls below the density of cool air. Accordingly it rises. From conception to implementation, the hot air balloon came to fruition in the two years, 1782-1783. Two of the Montgolfiers experiments were especially memorable: on September 19, 1783 a balloon, carrying a number of farm animals (a sheep, a duck and a rooster) rose from the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, to an elevation of 1.6 miles. (This fact is most likely familiar to my good friend, Jean Charles Guegan (JCG) who lives in the area of Versailles, and has been posting compelling photos from his world.)

Then just two months later, on November 21, 1783, the first manned flight of a hot air balloon took place, when the Marquis d'Arlandes and Jean Pilâtre de Rozier, a physicist, flew over Paris, becoming the first test pilots as well as the first passengers of human flight. They achieved a height of 900 meters (3,000 ft) and traveled approximately 14 km (9 miles) during a 23-minute flight. Their balloon was constructed of linen, lined with paper, and coated with alum-potash, in order to reduce the risk of fire. The lift came from air heated by a pile of burning straw resting on a wire mesh. For the science-minded among TE members, a salutary effect of the hot-air balloon experiments was the discovery by an associate of the Montgolfiers, Jacques Charles. Charles Law, formulated in the early 19th century, shows that the pressure multiplied by the volume of a gas varies directly with the temperature, PV=nRT. In modern hot air balloons, air is heated with propane or natural gas that is carried in special tanks.

The present photo represents a view from the gondola of a hot air balloon of another balloon just taking flight. The vantage point from the higher elevation reveals a birds eve view of the balloon, attractive spiral patterns created by the colored patches comprising its surface. Meanwhile, the virtually monochromatic background seen below the balloon is the endless sand in the vicinity of Luxor, Egypt. Since none of the great temples of Luxor, or of nearby Karnak, are visible, it made more sense to write about hot air balloons than the history of the land below. That history came with a note accompanying my earlier post, the Feluccas on the Nile. I centered the balloon in the frame, since there was no other landmark to serve as a counterpoint. It would have appeared artificial to have the balloon 1/3 of the way from one side for no other reason than the "rule of thirds."

Hi Bulent,
Very nice picture and very nice point of view of the beautiful montgolfier.
Very nice perspective and wonderful colours, very good framing and good presentation..!
Good shot and very good note too..!
Best regards,
Patrick

Nice POV Bulent and center positioning looks good. Nicely focused and those colors look great with the sandy background. The compound on the upper left was probably left for a good reason, it gives the scale to the subject.
Nice work and thanks for sharing.
Hasan

A very different perspective. This a well crafted composition and a well executed image. Having just the bit of the workers village in the corner of the image was a brilliant touch as it adds a perspective element that would have been lost without it. Bravo, well done!

Hello Bulent,
you have done it again. Stunning. What an eye you have. It is a joy to see your thoughts in your pictures. The placement and the size of the ballon, the colour everything makes me just stop and look at this picture for some time. Then reading your scientific and very exhausting note (that is really a pleasure for mind to read), it really makes me think.
Thanks for putting this picture up to stimulate us.
Warm Regards.
Stella

I think that must a very lovely experience above these warm air ballon, attractive spiral pattern with different colours gives absolutely a very lovely view about the earth beneath. Very well picture as quality and sharpness.
I flyed never with a air balloon.
Thanks for sharing and your note.

Hello, dear Bulent,
What a wonderful image! I love the swirling color pattern of the balloon in contrast to the sameness of the ground's color and the POV of looking down at it. Beautifully lit and perfect contrast. And as always, an excellent and informative note. My warmest regards,
Shelly

hello Bulent
nice contrast of the vivid colours and the colour of the ground, unusual POV (higher than a balloon, need to be yourself in a balloon :))
interesting note, nice frame add to the photo, good job
regards
jo

a very nice one, nice let I tell you take I like it a lot. great point of view, good position with the balloon in the middle, it give more perspective. good details and yes you did do a v ery goodphotojob here, I like it Bulent, thanks for showing.
gr. jaap

Hello Bulent,
Impressive point of view!
Myself I'm not so happy for heights so handshake would probably be a fact, while this is pin sharp!
Excellent textures and attractive colour palette!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Good evening Bulent.
This is nice. Very nice.
You made me to feel like a bird which look the world from high.
Splendid photo with excellent colours which look even better on the monochrome background.
My regards
Kostas

Hello Bülent,
The colour of the balloon on its own would give a great photo. Add to it the contrast with the sand and those lines on the it that combine so well with the balloon, and we have a fabulous photo.
Very eye catching!
And an interesting note, as usual.
Regards, José.

Hi Bulent, I always love these shots from above the balloon looking down, they are one of the most colourful forms of transport around, against the sandy background it highlights the colours even better, superbly framed & beautifully photographed, kind regards Wilson.

This is a great view--having a balloon below really gives the feel that I am in a balloon as I view it. The round mounds found on the ground (!) make a nice rhythm with the similarly-shaped balloon. I think it's fine to break the rule of thirds, but putting the balloon slightly left of center might make the image less static by implying that it's entering the frame. Just a thought. Regards, Ken.

I've seen plenty of hot air balloon photos but never one from above. It provides wonderful colour against a plain background. I like how it "sits" between the rounded shapes below. Hot air ballooning is definitely on my list of "things to do before I die".
Good work
Kath

Hi Bulent
I've been hesitating as to whether to do a hot air balloon ride in Central Australia or not this year and keep thinking "no it's too expensive" especially as I was lucky many years ago to go up in one for free with my cousin who did it as his job in Victoria. But when I see photos like yours, it makes me think that the cost is definitely worth it. The colours stand out so well against the sand and it was a good choice to centre it because, as you say, there is nothing to counterbalance it.
Regards
Nikki

Hej Bulent,
Beautiful view! The many vivid colours of the balloon make a great contrast with the sand coloured background and also make the balloon stand out well against it. The shapes of the sand dunes look also interesting. Well captured and thanks for sharing!
Regards,
Lars

Hello Bulent. You know one of these days I will take a hot air balloon ride since it looks like so much fun. I love your high up POV yet we can still see the balloon in its entirely. I don't think I've ever seen a balloon in this sort of environment. Again the note is excellent. Very nice one Bulent.

Thanks for the link Bulent. This is a fantastic shot. Love the bright colors of the balloon against the sand down below. What a view! I will be going up in one myself in a few days if the weather cooperates. I'm very excited and hopefully I'll get some good shots from the air.

Hello Bulent Bey,
Really impressive composition. Simple yet impressive. The view, the colors, the background (which is the ground) are all superb. Sharpness is very very nice. Best personal regards. Salvator.

Fantastic aerial perspective, I like the contrast that exerts balloon with the Earth, I had liked plus a composition with balloon in a lateral one, anyway I like, it is a great work with good colours and a perfect illumination.

An interesting graphic setting in this one Bulent. And what a pov..
For this one the centered placement works well and is essential for the overall result. And of course the contrast between the colourful and the background landscape makes for a top effect.

Hello Professor 'A',
The hot air balloons make for nice colourful images, no doubt about that, but most of these are taken from ground. What sets this apart is the higher POV, its s like a bird looking down at the balloon. Excellent work ofcourse.With Greetings from India
"P"

Hello , Bulent .
Amazing colours and patterns of the balloon !
Great colour and texture of the sand below , which sets out the balloon so well.
Very interesting and informative note . A pleasure to read !
The perspective is something special .Perhaps I can explain what I mean by saying :
it makes me close my eyes , spread my arms and imagine I can flyyyyyyyy......!
Warm greetings
Dorte.

Incredible image. The contrast both in colours and texture between the balloon and the empty sandscape below is just amazing. And ABOVE ALL, nice POV which few of us photographers have the privilege to enjoy.
Congratulations Bulent!

Great photo. Really sharp and detailed. Great color and really a composition that can't go wrong. The note...well...maybe the best note writer on the site. The framing with the yellow lines really compliments the photo also. Great work. (Smiley tomorrow)

Dear Professor "A"
What a sense of height, what a sense of freedom...I wish I was there, high up soaring over the magnificient pyramids, for a change, making them look small. I do not want to go into small details, colour, compo. POV etc, etc...because this photo is beyond all that
With warm Regards
Angshuman "B"

Ideal means of transport to fly over the Valley of the Kings. Superb photograph, the montgolfier contrasts ideally with sand and the colors burst. I have the impression that there are many people in the nacelle. Thank you very much for the note always interesting and thank you for the dedication too.

Hello Bulent!
A great photo! I love the contrast between the colorful baloon and the desert. I´d love to be in this baloon, i think it´s a great feeling, floating over this historical area. I just flew with an airplane over it but it was very impressing to see the pyramids from about 8.000 feet.

Hi Bulent
Excellent high POV showing the montgolfier with its colored pattern creating a spiral, the people inside the (wicker?) basket
giving a sense of distance. The balloon stands out nicely against the sandy ground with good DOF.
Cheers
Marilyn

Hello Bulent !
A very interesting note. Leonardo da Vinci would love to be there!
Very nice picture, good POV, sharpness and colors.
Have you ever been at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico?
I lived for 6 months in ABQ in 1971 but I left there in July and the Fiesta happens every October, yearly... It might be interesting.
Um abraço, TFS !
Nivaldo

Hello Bülent - fascinating POV over the desert, and good light, the central position of the colorful balloon makes eye catching symmetry, with a hint of village arcj=hitecture at the upper left corner.

Hi Bulent. Colourful balloons like this always make such a fabulous contrast against a blue sky, but here you have taken advantage of your higher POV to provide such a contrast against the almost monochromatic desert. As a regular balloonist I found your note very interesting. As far as the composition is concerned, personally I would have preferred to see the balloon a little more to the right, and more of the village in the top LH corner in frame (I think that would have created a nicely balanced image), but centering it does create quite a lot of impact - and as you've already alluded in your note, it is a matter of personal taste. Cheers . . . David

Hello Bulent,
you took advantage of your balloon flight very well and captured a very nice photo with great colours and lighting. Isnt it dangerous when balloons fly so close to each other? The same question I ask to myself every time I see pics of the famous Kappadokian balloons.
Btw: Some friends of mine visited in Egypt a few weeks ago and the came back very much enthused by Egyptian antiquities.
Regards
Andreas

Hello Bulent
A nice view of this hot air ballon. A good contrast of colors with the sand in the back ground. Surely, a very interresting and good flight
take a look at Suivre sa route
Best regards
Hervé

after be a long time absent from TE (because of my university exams), I've the pleasure to see the beautiful pictures you took. I like this one very much... The color of the hot air balloon contasts very well with this amount of sand. The subject is quite simple but attracts the eye on it... I don't know excatly why but this is something very attractive in your picture, perhaps the roundness of the balloon or its colors...

Hi Bulent
Speaking about the thermodynamic laws in TE is not common. About the third rule we can discus how and when transgress it. The most important in a shot is the light and the visual impact at first glance. This one is a good one. When I visited Luxor I don't seen any air-balloon in the sky.
Cheers
JP

Hello Bulent! This is really funny that you have a similar intro on your starter page, searching for something else and staying ... maybe forever :) I "travelled" through your gallery and I found this that - as so many others before me - has fascinated me right away. You had a brilliant position for making this photo and I like that there is just the pale sand and the vivid colors of the fabric. This is truly an impressive view and a perfect photo. Thanks for going up for us ... this is great. Barbara.

Hi Bulent,
Amazing shot! wonderful colours those of the balloon and great contrast with the colour of the sand surrounded it. Perfect POV.
Thanks for sharing and thanks for your useful information also.
Well done!

Hello Bulent,
A balloon flight OK, but so different of whet we see all the time: Nowadays these hot air balloon flights have become routine in Turkey, and we see a lot of pictures, but here I am impressed by the desert below: Perhaps I would have cropped the edge of the village, I am not sure , I would have tried to look. Your story, very professional and comprehensive, is also pure delight.
Take care , and hope to finally see you soon. - Izzet

Merhaba Bulent. An exquisitely crafted shot.The harmony of the colours is the strong feature here.The balloon is perfectly placed and finds small echoes of its shape in the roundish mounds.Beautiful work, a joy to behold. Regards. Klaudio.

Hello Batalay,
absolutely impressive this shot of the hot air balloon over Luxor.You were of course, in the other balloon to shot this photo.The colours are contrasted perfect with the sand and create a memorable capture.Fabulous photo,as your very educational note.

In only one generation of human life, we have gone from the events at Kittyhawke to the Mars Rover! It has not been without its struggles and disasters, but it has revolutionized the planet. My great great grandfather, the inventor James Watt achieved this in a different way, by improving the steam engine and sparking the industrial revolution. But none can rival Leonardo da Vinci, whom if alive today would be overwhelmed with the technology 'descended' from his brilliance, the helicopter to name just one!

Now to your photo, it certainly deserves its popularity as the perspective is unbeatable and the colours are vibrant and enjoyable. I also like the undulation of the landscape and the tracks in the sand. The image is sharp, well defined and the clarity is wonderful. It was also good to include that small slither of village in the top left corner. It really is a wondrous sight.

Hi,Master,
It is a shot I don't know why I've passed by unseeing.
Now I find it so intriguing and nice with the contrast between the desert colour and the lively cheerful colours of the hot air balloon.
Amazing!
I bet the man is happy not being dropped in the desert though:)
TFS
Valerka:)

hello Bulent,
Thank you firstly for this beautiful image of the balloon and then also of the very informative notes.
A very good POV of a very impressive balloon. I love the geometric patterns and colours.
My compliments!
I have more balloons shots in TL. I shall have to peruse your gallery.
TFS,
Joni

Hi Bulent-
This is a beautiful shot of the hot air balloon in Egypt. I like the detail in the patterns of the sand against the brightly colored balloon. Were you in a balloon when you took this photo? I did this in Cappadocia, Turkey last year - a thrill of a lifetime!
-Claudia

Hi Bulent
this one cannot be missed!
at first glance, i'm thinking to myself that a less centred approache would have better suited the scene.
but the more i view it, it doesn't matter because of the overall beauty of it! the strong color contrasts, and high quality of the image itself.
the mounds on the ground also compliment the rounded balloon.
great shot
cheers
craig

Hello Bulent
Great optical frame effects. The color contrast of the balloon on the light brown background are strong and attracts' s eye to admire an unusual view of the balloon below the viewer. Very beautiful diagonals created by the underlying soil. Very very explanatory note. Thank you for having shared with us all.
Warm Regard's .... Marino

Just beautiful! MANY years ago, I almost got to go to Egypt with my track team in High School, but I was not fast enough..I ranked #9 when only 7 were picked to go! Oh well, maybe some day. When attending hot air balloon festivals ( never had the privilege yet to fly up in one), one can not help but take 100's of photos of the sights and colors seen floating up together!
Bulent, now that I have read up on your website about your lectures and art, when will you be presenting next in the Va. and DC area? I would love to hear one of your talks with my husband ( who loves math,history and physics) and children ( who love to learn all they can).
Thanks! Susu

You're capturing well this by a good angle and excellent tone/clarity, so it's interesting and impressive to see colorful air balloon and the desert under one's view. The whole is harmonized beautifully.

Hi Bulent,
I came back to admire once again your amazing shot of the monument before the HUGE moon, and spotted this beauty as well. I love the fact that you captured this colorful balloon from such a unique viewpoint, its rare that we look down on a balloon, and the swirling pattern of its design is really beautiful, especially in such contrast to the dry barren land below. Beautiful!
Thanks again
Noel